Last year, the Washington State House of Representatives unanimously voted 96-0 in favor of the Neighborhood Safe Streets Bill. After passing through the Senate Transportation Committee, this legislation ran out of time on the Senate floor.

Now we have a chance to give this important safety legislation a jump-start in the State Senate. Already, we’ve gotten its sister bill in the state House of Representatives a favorable hearing (HB 1045 got a “do pass” out of committee). Knowing we have a lot of work to do in the Senate, it’s one of the first bills to be heard in the 2013 session and legislators need to hear your voice now!

The Neighborhood Safe Streets bill (SB 5066) gives cities and towns the authority to create safer neighborhood streets by lowering speed limits on non-arterial streets to 20 miles per hour without conducting an expensive traffic study. As an added benefit it removes government red tape and cuts study costs currently required by the state.

Time is critical and we’re having a hearing this Tuesday, Jan. 29, in the Senate Transportation Committee. Now we need to remind our state senators that the time is now to support this important safety legislation that can save cities and towns across Washington money while they work to improve safety on neighborhood streets.

Your reminder to your elected officials is critical in making this happen. And it only requires two simple steps:

#1 – Enter your mailing address here http://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/ (choose Legislative, not Congressional) and follow the instructions on the site to reach a contact form for your state senator (if you haven’t already, feel free to send the note to your entire district delegation since it will be coming up for a vote in the full House).

#2 – Email your Senator a note expressing your support of this important public safety legislation, SB 5066. We’ve included some model text for you to use—putting it in your own words will make it even better and more personal:

Dear Senator _________,

I write to ask you to support the Neighborhood Safe Streets Bill (SB 5066), which will be heard in the Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 29. The bill passed out of the House unanimously in 2012, and passed out of the Senate Transportation Committee as well before running out of time on the Senate floor—this is the year to save cities money, cut red tape, and give local jurisdictions another tool to improve safety on neighborhood streets.

I urge you to let your colleagues on the committee know that you’re hearing from your district in support of this important safety legislation. SB 5066 provides more local control, offers an additional safety tool for local governments, removes additional study costs and red tape currently required by the state, and encourages active living by offering cities and towns the chance to create safer and more livable streets. Most importantly, when used in conjunction with engineering and enforcement, lower speeds on non-arterial streets can save lives.

As a constituent and voter in your district I would greatly appreciate your yes vote on the Neighborhood Safe Streets Bill (SB 5066) to make our hometown safer for everyone from kids to grandparents.

Sincerely,

[Your Name here]

Thank you for your support and advocacy to make Washington streets safer!

– Barb Chamberlain Executive Director Bicycle Alliance of Washington

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Tons of Washingtonians are heading to Olympia to learn about the issues, meet with legislators and network with other advocates. Two hearings are scheduled for tomorrow on biking-related bills. Here’s the breakdown from Bike to Work Spokane, including what’s being talked about tomorrow in Olympia and more.

January 28: Transportation Advocacy Day in Olympia, House Transportation Committee Hearings on Bike Bills
This Thursday, Jan. 28 at 3:30pm, the House Transportation Committee will hold hearings on two bills that relate to biking, both of which are actively supported by the Cascade Bicycle Club, Bicycle Alliance of Washington, Transportation Choices and other groups working on active transportation issues.

HB 2911: Creating Complete Streets Grant Program
HB 3001: Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Education in Traffic Schools

A list of House Transportation Committee members: http://bit.ly/WaHTransp. Local legislators Alex Wood (3rd District), John Driscoll (6th District), and Matt Shea (4th District) serve on the committee.

If you’d like to submit comments, contact your state representatives: http://bit.ly/WaReps

The bills are being heard on Transportation Advocacy Day, when people from around the state descend on the capitol to meet legislatures and lobby for transportation policy that addresses the needs of all users, not just some.

Vulnerable User Bill in Legislature
Introduced in the 2009 session by the Cascade Bicycle Club but not passed into law, the Vulnerable Roadway User Bill would make it easier for prosecutors to hold drivers more accountable in collisions where they kill or seriously injure cyclists and pedestrians. The bill is supported by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington and other organizations.

It has been introduced in the House as HB 2774, and in the Senate as SB 5838.

Spokane County Street Connectivity Issue Open for More Comments
Spokane County Commissioners held a hearing Tuesday, Jan. 26, concerning a policy on connectivity.

Connectivity provides for walkability and bikability within a neighborhood and for adjacent neighborhoods. It also makes providing services to these neighborhoods such as police, transit and fire much easier and cheaper.

Commissioners Todd Mielke and Mark Richard voted to hold the topic open for further comment. You can submit an email through this link provided by Futurewise. The wording they developed for the form will give you an idea of the importance of the issue for cyclists and neighbors.

You can rewrite it to be in your own words, or just send an email yourself to commissioners Todd Mielke (tmielke@spokanecounty.org), Mark Richards (mrichards@spokanecounty.org), and Bonnie Mager (bmager@spokanecounty.org).

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There’s been lots of buzz about “complete streets” in Spokane recently. Now it’s time to get involved! Please read this invitation to the upcoming Complete Streets Spokane planning meeting from the executive director of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington.

“If you have been reading the Spokesman Review and Out There Monthly, you know that there has been an alarming string of pedestrian deaths around Spokane and the Inland Northwest. Join representatives from Futurewise, the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, and other public interest groups in changing this trend!

January 13 – 5:30 PM
Central YMCA
930 N Monroe

When streets are designed for motor vehicles, they deny people the opportunity to choose more active ways to get around, like biking and walking. Even when sidewalks exist, large intersections and speeding traffic can discourage these active modes by making biking and walking unpleasant or unsafe.

Read Jon Snyder’s December editorial, Time for Complete Streets, in OutThere Monthly. The Bicycle Alliance of Washington has long been a proponent of Complete Streets policies at the state and local levels, and it continues to be part of our 2010 legislative agenda.

For more information contact Kitty Klitzke or at 509-838-1965 at Futurewise for more information.”

Dave Janis
Acting Executive Director
www.bicyclealliance.org
206-224-9252 x302

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I know I’m running the risk putting readers on legislative overload, but it’s hard to think of a time when more outdoor related initiatives have been moving through the WA state legislature. Here’s an update on bill the Bicycle Alliance of Washington has been working on:

Legislative Update:
Bills Are Moving Forward

The Bicycle Alliance of Washington continues to make progress in Olympia. Thanks to your help, most of our legislation is still moving forward.

Safety for All
Two of our three Safety for All bills are still alive in the legislature. HB 1403 (traffic signal detection) and HB 1491 (3 foot minimum passing) were voted out of the House Transportation Committee. They are currently in the House Rules Committee awaiting floor action.

Safe Routes to School
This bill had a hearing in the House Transportation Committee on Transportation Advocacy Day. Many of you who were at TAD attended the hearing and signed in to support the bill. BAW board member Liz McNett Crowl was one of four who gave public testimony in favor of HB 1793. The bill was voted out of the Transportation Committee and now awaits action in the Rules Committee.

Be sure to check our website for more details on these bills and other bills that we are following. And again, a major thank you to all who contacted their legislators and/or met with them at TAD in support of our legislation!

BAW Looking Forward to Next Legislative Session

Now, regarding the future! Each spring, the Bicycle Alliance Legislative Committee holds a meeting to discuss possible legislative initiatives for the upcoming year. If you ever thought “There ought to be a law!”, or just have some ideas to improve bicycling, the Committee would love to hear your thoughts. We’ll make another call for your input in a month or two, but in the time being, please start to think about State-wide legislative things you would like to see changed or improved.

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But what they really need is more board members east of the Cascades, where the Alliance has the most growth potential and where their work doesn’t overlap with the Cascade Bicycle Club. If you are a bicycle advocate this could be a great opportunity. The deadline for inquiries is this Thursday:

Bicycle Alliance Seeking New Board Members

The Bicycle Alliance of Washington is seeking members from around the state to serve on its Board of Directors.

This is an opportunity to help lead the only organization devoted to bicycle advocacy in the state. The Board is responsible for creating vision, setting overall policy, ensuring implementation of programs, and fiscal oversight. As a Board member, you will serve on committees, participate in fundraising, provide technical and professional advice, and participate in advocacy efforts. Board members serve a 3-year term and the full Board meets quarterly.

Interested parties can make inquiries and applicants should submit a letter of interest with credentials to BAWboard@bicyclealliance.org by January 15, 2009.

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